On this day in Our Islands History

In 1867, Father Charles-Nazaire Boudreau, the first priest to originate from the Magdalen Islands, did up the annual tax accounts for the factory in House Harbour. It is the last time they are done up in the louis, shellings and deniers money exchange.

This information was loosely translated from:
- From the chronicle's of historian Father Frédéric Landry
Événements Historiques Agenda (Septembre 1993 à Septembre 1994)

Of course, in 1867, Canada became a nation under one rule. Quebec was one of the four first provinces to join the Confederation. The money would have all become the same used in all united provinces.

Father Charles-Nazaire Boudreau was born in 1822, to Benoit and Genevieve Boudreau. After his studies at Saint-Therese college, near Montreal, and Prince Edward Island, he was ordained as a priest at Rustico, in 1846. He was named Priest in Charge at Amherst in 1849 and lived 39 years in the service of the people of the Magdalen Islands. He was the only priest on the islands during the years 1874 and part of 1875.

This information was loosely translated from:
- From Deux siecles d'Histoire, Iles de la Madeleine 1793-1992, by Chantal Naud

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On this day in Our Islands History

In 1948, The lighthouse keepers of the Bird Rocks and of Brion Island and their families were returned to the main islands. Mr. Reid Turnbull was at the time the keeper of the lighthouse on Brion Island and he stayed there with his wife and two children. Mr. Alfred Arseneau was the keeper on the Bird Rocks with his wife and their four children. The ship Le Sorel arrived at the Bird Rocks first to pick up the Arseneau family and then sailed to the west end of Brion to retrieve the Turnbull family before setting sail for Grindstone, where the two families debarked.

This information was loosely translated from:
- From the chronicle's of historian Father Frédéric Landry
Événements Historiques Agenda (Septembre 1993 à Septembre 1994)

Although the fact does not say why the families were brought from the lighthouses concerned, I am assuming that the Canadian Government decided that the lighthouses were not needed during the freeze up months of the year. This fact was perhaps the first year that the keepers did not remain at their posts all year long. Due to all the tragedies on the Bird Rocks and the winter retrieval of one of the keepers on Brion, perhaps the Politicians of the day decided since there were no ships in the area, there was no need to keep the lights working.

If anyone has any ideas on the subject, please feel free to make suggestions in the comment section of this posting!

In 1981, The Villa Plaissance opened its doors to elderly persons.

- from the official website of the Magdalen Islands
Ephemerides by Lise Bouffard

Villa Plaissance was the first senior citizens home, for elderly people who are not critically ill enough for the third floor of the hospital for the chronically ill, but are incapable of caring for themselves or their families are incapable of caring for them any longer could go for adequate specialized care. For the past few years, fund raisers have been taking place to build a new care facility to take the place of the aging building that is the Villa Plaissance. There are now several homes for the elderly, which have varying amounts of care given.

If anyone has any ideas on the subject, please feel free to make suggestions in the comment section of this posting!

On this day in Our Islands History

In 1919, the old convent, Notre-Dame des Flots was inaugurated by the Sisters of the Notre-Dame Congregation. This convent had been constructed by the perishers of House Harbour under the leadership of Father Samuel Turbide. Today, the convent has been transformed into a hotel called" Chez Gaspard".

- From the chronicle's of historian Father Frédéric Landry
Événements Historiques Agenda (Septembre 1993 à Septembre 1994)

If anyone has any ideas on the subject, please feel free to make suggestions in the comment section of this posting!

In 1997, Father Francois Boudreau died at the age of 82.

- from the official website of the Magdalen Islands
Ephemerides by Lise Bouffard

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On this day in Our Islands History

In 1960, the people of Grindstone created the parish of Saint Andre and appointed Abby Lionel Lafrance as the Priest in Charge. The construction of the church began on April 26th, 1967. The cost of the construction was around $345,000. It was necessary to take out a loan so that the church could be built within ten years.

- From the chronicle's of historian Father Frédéric Landry
Événements Historiques Agenda (Septembre 1993 à Septembre 1994)

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On this day in Our Islands History

In 1910, the under water telecommunications cable between the Magdalen Islands and the bay of Cape Saint Lawrence, on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia was ruptured by shoal ice in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. This telegraphic cable was the only means of communication with the mainland, during this era. Because of ice conditions, ships and boats rarely sailed in the Gulf and airtravel had not yet started, so mail could not be dropped off.

- From the chronicle's of historian Father Frédéric Landry
Événements Historiques Agenda (Septembre 1993 à Septembre 1994)

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On this day in Our Islands History

In 1794, the first parish assembly was held at the church at the foot of the Demoiselles mountain. The verbal process of this assembly is written in an absolute order is accurately preserved in the parish registers of Amherst Island.


- From the chronicle's of historian Father Frédéric Landry
Événements Historiques Agenda (Septembre 1993 à Septembre 1994)

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On this day in Our Islands History

In 1913, The priest Samuel Turbide brings to the convent the bulletin marconigramme. For the most part, the news is political in nature. This bulletin was composed by Joseph Lebourdais, son of Augustus Lebourdais, father of modern Islands communication.

- From the chronicle's of historian Father Frédéric Landry
Événements Historiques Agenda (Septembre 1993 à Septembre 1994)

This activity on it's own does not seem so special. However, coupled with the fact that the under water cable had been severed in 1910 and there was no communication at all to the islands for a while, this action seems quite amazing, given that it was a simple broadcast of political news.

If anyone has any ideas on the subject, please feel free to make suggestions in the comment section of this posting!